


The Smuggler, the Prince, and the Scavenger

by Cats_Obsessions



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Ben Solo Needs A Hug, F/M, Fluff, Force Bond (Star Wars), Friends with Romantic Feelings, Getting to Know Each Other, Jakku, Post-Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Reylo - Freeform, Romance, Solo: A Star Wars Story Spoilers, Supreme Leader Kylo Ren, just fluff, story time with ben solo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-01
Updated: 2018-07-01
Packaged: 2019-05-31 12:10:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,692
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15119114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cats_Obsessions/pseuds/Cats_Obsessions
Summary: After The Battle of Crait Ben and Rey continue to see each other through the force bond. They manage to become friends through an unstated rule that they don't talk about what happened. Supreme Leader Kylo Ren will break the rules, just this once when he finds Rey reading Solo: A Resistance Story.TL;DR - Ben tells Rey the story of how Han became a smuggler and it leads to an interesting conversation.





	1. Late Night Calls

**Author's Note:**

> Warning: There are a few spoilers from The Last Jedi and Solo.
> 
> I just saw Solo a few weeks ago and couldn't help but imagine this scenario where Ben tells Rey about it. 
> 
> This is my first post on ao3, and one of the first creative writing pieces I have done in a long time. (I am an unflexible, academic writer normally, so please don't judge me too harshly. Constructive criticism and tips are welcome!). But I had a lot of fun with it and hope someone else enjoys it, too!

“That's propaganda, you know.” His voice was cold and disapproving as the sounds of the ship around Rey muffled with the opening of the forcebond. It had been weeks since The Battle of Crait, and the death of Snoke, yet the bond between them continued to bridge them from their respective corners of the galaxy. It opened the most at night, when they were alone and unguarded with their thoughts. 

At first it had been tense between the two of them. There wasn't much they could say to make up for what had happened- for the feelings of betrayal and loneliness. It was only after they both silently admitted defeat to the bond itself that they realized they had to find some peace between them to avoid suffering every night the force brought them together. So, an unsaid agreement was made that they would simply not talk about it. They could talk about anything, but not who's right or who's wrong or any of the fights that transpired between them, The Order, or The Resistance.

The tattered copy of Solo: A Resistance Story still resting in her hand, she looked up from her reading to meet the Supreme Leader standing beside her bed where she lounged. “Isn't everything propaganda?” she chided. Ben always thought of her as clever; he shouldn't doubt her ability to tell fact from fiction. “If I don't learn about it from here, who is going to tell me?”

“Why are you interested in fables, anyways?” he scoffed, but his expression warmed a bit.

“Ben...” She warned, but his gaze was unwavering, prompting her to continue. “Like it or not, I am a part of the resistance now. Is it so crazy to think I would like to know about the people who influenced it the most- the war heroes” Not that she wanted to know more about Han because she liked him, or that she wanted to know about Ben's childhood without asking him.

This answer seemed to interest him, as he took a second to think before responding. “You knew my dad as a smuggler before a war hero.” He said it with a glint of mischief in his eyes, as he approached her, moving closer slowly. 

“Yes.” she stated curtly. They didn't talk about that, either, and she didn't like it when he brought up facts he knew through stealing- if that's what you call rummaging through her thoughts forcefully in search for the map to Luke. But that felt like a long time ago with a different person.

“I can tell you how he became a smuggler.” he sat down at the side of her bed, close but not touching.

“You would? Really?”

“I didn't say I would. I said I can.” the ghost of a smirk flashed across his mouth. “Perhaps I will, but you would owe me.”

Rey's excitement and surprise quickly turned to suspicion “What, exactly?”

“I haven't decided yet. I'll let you know when I think of something.”


	2. Story Telling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> About Qi'ra's "unspeakable acts" and the reason she left Han: This is just my interpretation of the movie and one possibility that I thought fit nicely with this story.

They spent the week after their conversation engrossed in Ben's story. Originally, he described the characters and events very matter of fact. He even called Han “Solo”, as if to distance himself. It captured Rey's heart, nonetheless, and as her growing interest encouraged him, he began to get more into the story. He spent more time on the details and delved into each character's backstory as much as he knew. 

She noticed the way he changed what he called each person, too. Chewbacca quickly became “Chewy”, and he slipped and called Calrissian “Uncle Lando” once.

Rey shed a tear when L3 nearly died. She turned away from Ben and casually put her hand to her cheek to hide it. He knew, though. 

She outright cried when Qi'ra left Han. 

***

“She thought he wouldn't love her anymore because she was a prostituted war criminal?!” 

“Well...” He hadn't said those exact words, and he wasn't sure how familiar Rey was with such things. “Yes, I suppose.”

She still had tears on her cheeks. “That's bantha shit!” The words came out between gritted teeth.

After a brief pause, he responded “Maybe.” 

“Maybe?! That's not how love works.”

“How would you know?” The response was too quick and too harsh. He could feel the hurt through their bond, though it was obvious through the look in her eyes alone.

“What I mean is- It was more complicated than that.” He paused to glance at her. Her doe eyes watching him with trepidation as he scrambled to remedy the statement. She wasn't allowing the wound he inflicted to ignite her anger. Instead, she offered him an attentive glance to mask her own misery. It reminded him of his own response to her accusation that he was a monster. “Maybe that is how love works” He wasn't sure he knew. “But, love makes people do foolish things. She was merciful to spare him the pain that he would have experienced if she had stayed.” 

Sensing that the conversation had wandered into dangerous territory, Rey looked at Ben hesitantly, as if to say continue.

“She was protecting him. He would have only watched her die, and died with her if she followed him. He was foolish like that. He could never see the reality of things- the sacrifices that others had to make.” Ben was talking faster now, his eyes looking elsewhere, caught up in a jumbled thought. “He never once considered the pain his own desires brought the people around him!” He breathed deeply, allowing his eyes to fall to his own lap. His voice lowered as well “Some people can't go back to the way things were. He couldn't understand that. He thought he could fix everything. That’s why he had to confront me.” 

“Ben.” Rey's voice was soft, almost a whisper, as she reached out her hand to touch his shoulder.

“He should have let me be. Let me live this life without that kind of- of burden” There was pain in his voice and he didn't lift his eyes to meet hers. 

“He should have never of come after me... And neither should have you.” This time he looked at her; his intent stare burrowed into her eyes. 

It caught her off guard. “I- How could you say that?” She removed her hand from his arm like she had touched a burning coal.

“Wouldn't it be better to you if I wasn't the Supreme Leader? Don't you wonder about what would have happened if you never betrayed me?” He was hurt, so he was angry. But that didn't change the impact of the things he said.

'I didn't betray you' She spat through the bond. “And no. Even after all that I'm glad I came for you.”

“Of course, Snoke is dead and the Resistance didn't have to do anything.” He stated dryly. 

“No.” Her patience was running out and her voice was getting louder. “It was never about them, Ben. You're free of Snoke and his torture. Even after the pain of that day; even if you never join me, knowing that made it worth it.” She said with resolve. 

Ben's eyes widened and his features softened from the hard glare he had aimed at her before. His brows stayed furrowed as a look of pain flashed across his face. They sat in silence for some time before he let out a large sigh, pursed his lips, and closed his eyes.

“Rey” He let out in a breathy voice, opening his eyes again.

“Ben.” She was still on the defense. 

“Thank you.” He grabbed her small hand in between his hands. He didn't lace their fingers; he just held her's there, cupped in his own, lost in the enormity of his hands for a few moments. A small smile grew on her face as the bond began to fade between them. 

He could have sworn he heard her say “You're not alone.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the next chapter, we will find out what Ben wants in return for his story. I hate to let you down, but there's no smut. :P


	3. Chapter 3

It was two days later when the bond opened that he said “I have decided what you owe me.” 

“I don't think I owe you anything, but I'll humor you this once. What is it?” Rey chided.

“Your own story.” He was smug about it. That crooked smile splayed across his face.

“All my good stories involve you. Nothing exciting happened on Jakku before...” She trailed off.

“I'm not asking for an action holo.” His confidence disappeared. “I- I want to know about your life.” He said meekly, heat spreading across his face and turning his ears red.

She, in response, turned much more red as a blush spread across her cheeks. It was embarrassing. He wanted to know about her, but nothing in her life could have compared to the adventures he'd had. While they certainly had a lot in common when it came to personality and overall experiences of abandonment, she was certain the noteworthy moments of their lives outside of that were not on the same level. “I really don't think you would be interested.” She said with defeat.

“I'm asking you. So, I think I am interested.” He looked desperate. For that, she had to applaud Ben. He was making a solid effort to get to know her. To really learn about her. Maybe it was just that no one had before now that threw her off so much. People in the Resistance asked her a lot about herself, but mostly about the force and her fights with Ben, and her least favorite of all: what Luke was like. Even Finn didn't ask about Jakku unless he was asking about the horrible conditions there. Ben realized that Jakku was her home; she had good and bad memories there that made her who she is.

“Just think about it. It can be some small moments: how did you find your staff? What did you do in your free time? How did you learn to fly?”

“I- I taught myself how to fly, actually”   
His eyebrows shot up in surprise, and maybe a hint of worship flickered in his eyes as a smile grew across his face. That was all the encouragement she would ever need. 

“It's a funny story, actually...”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! 
> 
> I am really hoping to write a lot more soon. :) I would be happy to hear if you have any prompts, suggestions, alternate endings to this short story, or any other comments!


End file.
